BREAKING: Jim Karahalios wins court case against the Conservative Party

Today, Justice Perell ruled in favour of Karahalios’ lawsuit against the Conservative Party and opened the door for him to be reinstated as a candidate in the Conservative leadership race.

Justice Parell wrote, “I declare that the DRAC Decision Of March 18, 2020, to disqualify Mr. Karahalios’ as a candidate for the Conservative Party leadership was invalid, and I set aside the [Dispute Resolution Appeals Committee] (DRAC) Decision.”

Karahalios announced some of the details in a campaign email and on Twitter shortly after the decision was handed down. He reaffirmed his position that the CPC should not be deciding who should and should not be in the leadership race and that membership should determine who they want as a leader through a vote.

The Court ruling determined that while the CPC Appeals Committee had not done anything unlawful, their decision as a four-person committee could not simply disqualify Karahalios. Onnly the eighteen member Leadership Election Oversight Committee has that authority.

However, the court took no issue with the fine issued by the CPC, amounting to $100,000 from the money raised. Karahalios will be given 14 days to comply and pay the fine.

On the topic of Karahalios’s controversial comments, Justice Perell withheld judgment on whether or not the statements were racist or bigoted. Regardless, it would not have contributed to the deliberation of his disqualification.

The Justice similarly dismissed the allegations against the CPC on the existence of any coordinated effort to kibosh Karahalios’s candidacy. Justice Perell focused solely on what could be concretely proven.

Although it had been unclear whether or not Erin O’Toole’s campaign had sent in the complaint about Karahalios or not in the court ruling, they specifically named the O’Toole campaign as being the one to issue the original charge. In the past, O’Toole had denied sending in the complaint against Karahalios.

Now, Karahalios could receive the go-ahead to be reinstated, unless the CPC voted to disqualify him in the LEOC, which the judge referenced as being a legitimate way to exclude Karahalios based on the circumstances.

For more specific details, the full court ruling is linked here. 

The CPC has since released a statement that they would implement the decision reached by Justice Perell. Still, it remains unclear what actions the party will take here on.